iBelieve
by Mac-alicious
Summary: I still believe that one day, Carly Shay will realize she is in love with me. Minor kind of one sided so-so Creddie.


**A/N: **So this is my second iCarly oneshot, another Creddie I guess. I was thinking about doing another section at the end of this, but I might leave that for a second chapter or something. I actually like this, and it's somewhat realistic I hope. It's a little bit of a future fic. There's a poll on my profile if you would like to vote in it. Anyway, enjoy! R&R! Thanks! –Mac

**Disclaimer: **I don't own iCarly.

**iBelieve**

"Seriously Benson, why do you torture yourself?" Sam posed the question one afternoon.

We were at the Groovy Smoothie. I was sitting at a table across from Sam, clutching my smoothie tightly as I watched Carly and her latest boyfriend at a secluded table across the room. The four of us had come together, but Carly made if very clear she wanted to be alone with whatever his name was. Jealousy, of course, had reared its ugly head—flaring up in me almost instantaneously. Sam's question was valid—much to the dismay of pretty much everyone. My unrequited crush had followed us to high school. We were only a few months away from graduating and I still hadn't progressed from being obsessively-in-love with Carly Shay.

"Don't get me wrong," Sam continued, "I love seeing the horror-stricken expression of gut-wrenching pain—but only when _I_ inflict it. Otherwise it's no fun."

I scoffed, "Yeah, I know how fond you are of abusing me. By the way—"

Sam cut me off, "Don't change the subject, Fredward. You need a reality check. Carly's never going to like you like that. And the part of me, deep, deep, deep, deep, _deep_ down in me that has a miniscule amount of compassion for your well being…is forcing me to tell you that you need to give up already!"

"I can't," I groaned, dropping my head onto the table.

"Why not?"

"Iduhno," I responded, my voice mumbled.

"What?" Sam demanded. "You're going to need to speak up there. I can't hear you through your mouthful of table."

I raised my head to glare at her, "I. Don't. Know."

"How can you not know? You either try to move on or you don't. There has to be some reason why you're stuck in this rut and not attempting to get out," Sam replied.

"Well," I began, "I guess…"

Sam rolled her eyes, "What is it?"

"I guess I believe that someday Carly's going to realize that she wants to be with me too," I explained, "I still think there is hope."

"Freddie, come here," Sam gestured me closer, so I leaned across the table. Sam leaned forward as well, her mouth coming close to my ear as if to whisper something. Then she nearly screamed, "NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!"

"Shhh!" I hissed, glancing around to see if anyone noticed as I held my ear protectively. And of course many people had turned to see what the commotion was—including Carly and what's-his-name. "Why did you do that?"

"I thought if I said it loud enough it would break through that thick skull of yours," Sam shrugged, taking a big sip off her smoothie.

"Sam, whatever you did to Freddie, apologize and don't do it again," Carly had appeared beside their table.

"It's okay, Carly," I replied. "It's nothing that I'm not used to."

"Sam," Carly said firmly, ignoring what I said.

"It was for his own good," Sam responded.

"You know, Carly, her apology means nothing if it's forced," I commented, silently praying that she would just let it be and go back to her boyfriend.

"Yeah, I know," Carly sighed, "I'm sorry Freddie."

"It's no big deal. Like I said, I'm used to it."

"Well I should get back to Nick," Carly started, causing my gaze to travel to where he was sitting and watching us.

"Oh, go ahead," I waved her on. I watched as she walked back to the table. She leaned in to kiss Nick before she sat down across from him. I tore my eyes away from them, trying to keep my attention off them.

Sam shook her head, "You're hopeless."

-+-+-+-+-

A couple of weeks later, I was still hung up on Sam's question. Why was I torturing myself? With her steady string of boyfriends, it was clear Carly was not interested as of yet. And if she wasn't interested yet, didn't that say something about the likelihood of her _ever _being interested? I knew I should probably move on, but it would be my luck that the day I actively decide to leave Carly behind, she would realize she had feelings for me. I refused to give up hope. I didn't want to ever miss the opportunity. I, honestly, believed that Carly was worth a little pain. If it was meant to be, then we would be together—and all of this would be in the past, forgotten. We just weren't there yet.

I believed we were getting there—but maybe that was just my imagination.

-+-+-+-+-

It was a Friday night and I, of course, was sitting home alone with nothing to do. I was absentmindedly jotting down ideas for the next iCarly broadcast. We only had less than a dozen left. When we started our senior year, we came to the agreement that we would bring iCarly to an end once we graduated. We were going to start a new chapter of our lives and that meant the old one had to close, taking iCarly with it.

I was browsing through some of the viewer submitted videos, to see if there was anything we could use, when my phone rang. Carly's name and picture flashed across the screen. I frowned. She was supposed to be on a date with Nick. I didn't understand why she would be calling me. I answered anyway, though it was against my better judgment. I didn't feel like talking to her when _he_ would be in the background.

"Hello?" I greeted.

"Freddie?" Carly questioned. Her voice sounded muffled, like she had her hand over her mouth.

"Yeah. Carly is something wrong?" I responded. "You sound like—"

"Can you come over?" Carly cut me off. She gave a small sniff. "I need someone to talk to."

"Sure I can, but why me?" I frowned. "I'm not really good with advice."

"Spencer is on a date and Sam is having issues with her mom," Carly explained firmly. Then another sniff. It was then that I realized she was crying. I was already out my door and in the hall when she continued, "_Please_, Freddie, I just…I need someone here with me."

"Let me in," I said as I came to stand in front of her door.

I could hear her moving on the other side of the door and then the door was pulled open. Carly came into my view with her eyes red rimmed, and her cheeks tearstained. I wanted to run inside and pull her into my arms, but I knew my place and that behavior wasn't exactly considered platonic. Without a word, she gestured me inside. I pushed the door closed behind us and followed her to sit on the couch. Silently, I waited for her to explain why she had wanted me to come over. I could tell she was far more upset than I had originally thought. But she was offering no clues as to what had happened. She was staring blankly off into space—the silence only broken up by sporadic sniffs on Carly's part.

Then suddenly she dropped her face into her hands and let out one hard sob that shook her small frame, "Nick broke up with me!"

I might sound cruel, but I had the most brilliant flash of elation before it was over swept by concern for Carly, "I'm sorry, Carls."

"It's not your fault," Carly mumbled. Then she leaned her body into mine. I instinctively put an arm around her in a comforting hug. I let my hand stroke her shoulder gently as she continued, "Though according to Nick, it is."

"What?" I exclaimed, drawing back so I could look at her face.

"He said he couldn't be with me anymore if he wasn't a priority. He said he was sick of me putting you before him. Well, he said you _and Sam_, but he _really_ mean just _you_," Carly explained, "I mean, everyone knows you have a crush on me…"

"I don't—"

"Freddie," Carly raised an eyebrow.

"Fine," I huffed slightly, "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"I figure, he thinks that I might be developing feelings for you," Carly answered. "Because I would blow him off for you guys, _you_. Like, you know, when Sam's being evil, I come running to your rescue—whether I am with him or not. He hated it. I guess, it became too much for him."

Carly gave another sniff, and I sighed, "I'm really sorry, Carly. He's an idiot for not seeing that just because I've always loved you, it doesn't mean you feel the same way. For him to invent feelings as a—"

"What if they're not invented?" Carly's interruption came as a near silent whisper.

"Carly," I frowned, "I don't understand."

"What if he was right? What if I _am_ developing feelings for you?" Carly continued frantically, pausing only to reach up and wipe away a few stray tears.

"Are you?" I asked firmly, putting an end to her ramblings.

She stopped and tuned her eyes to meet mine. She looked almost surprised that I had asked her that, "I…"

"Well?" I prompted.

"I'm confused right now Freddie," Carly finally answered. "I just need a friend right now."

"I can do that," I responded, "Come here."

I hugged her tight against my chest. If she only needed a friend, then I would only be a friend. Honestly, I would do anything Carly asked of me. So she wasn't ready to declare her undying love for me yet. But the conversation had only revived my hope that someday she would. I believe that I was meant to be with Carly Shay, and one day I would be. I just didn't know how long that would take yet, but I would wait until the end of time for her.


End file.
